Contaminated blood thinner from China is in 11 countries: report

NEW YORK (AFP) — A contaminated blood thinner from China linked to 81 deaths in the United States is present in drug supplies in 11 countries, the New York Times said Tuesday, citing federal regulators.

The US Food and Drug Administration Monday sent a warning letter to Changzhou SPL, the Chinese plant identified as the source of contaminated heparin sold by Baxter International in the United States, the Times said.

In its letter the FDA said the plant used unclean tanks to make heparin, accepted raw materials from an unacceptable vendor and had no way to remove impurities, according to the Times.

The FDA has identified 12 Chinese companies that have supplied contaminated heparin to Australia, Canada, China, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, New Zealand and the United States, the report said.

But it does not know the original source of the contamination or where it entered the ...